Face up to it: Israel has entered the nuclear age.

As a resident of Tel Aviv, I have spent for too many hours in my safe room and shelters lately after hearing red alerts and sirens screaming near me. This sad experience has, at least, made me think about the realities of Israel’s future.

Reality number one.  Though it appears that Israel has won the recent war, it has done so at great cost.

Israel’s recent  war with Iran’s Axis of Resistance, as Iran calls  it, includes not only Iran itself,  but Hamas,  Hezbollah, and the Houthis, all of whom have fired numerous missiles at  Israel. in the past two years.  Most of those missiles have ben intercepted; some have gotten  past Israeli defense systems, causing  29 Israeli deaths, 3,238 hospitalizing injuries, and a huge amount of  property  damage. Israel is fortunate: none of those missiles has  had a nuclear warhead.

Reality number 2.  We are about to enter into a world in which all major countries will have nuclear weapons..

For thousands of years, there has always been one country which had the most sophisticated weapons in world  until it met another country with even more sophisticated weapons.  For example, in the 14th century, France, with the all its knights in shinning armor, had the strongest military in Europe. That ended in 1356 at Crecy, where the French met an English army which had a new weapon: the long bow, with which it defeated the much larger French army.

By the time of World War II, all of the armies used relatively basic rifles. (The United States used the M-1) and tanks   Today, even terrorists are armed with automatic, repeating rifles. In this day of missiles, tanks are virtually obsolete.

There is no reason to believe that this history will NOT extend to nuclear proliferation. Originally it was believed that only five countries, The United States, Great Britain, France, China  and the  Soviet Union had nuclear weapons.  It then became clear that Israel had nuclear weapons. Now Pakistan, India ,and North Korea, too,  all have nuclear weapons.  While the recent war with Iran may have delayed when it can develop a nuclear weapon, it has already been admitted that the delay may, at best, be only for a couple of years. Saudi Arabia has announced that if Iran develops a nuclear weapon, it will, too. There is absolutely no reason NOT  to believe that in the near future, all major countries will have nuclear weapons

Reality number 2. Israel must learn to live in a nuclear world.

Since its inception, Israel has survived by having tougher, better equipped and better educated soldiers than its adversaries. That was true in 1948, 1967, and 1973.  Israel did NOT start any of these wars , but it won all of them. It appears that Israel has won its recent war with Iran’s axis of resistance, but how long can that last?  History tells us that it is only a matter of time until we lose a war.

When more and more countries get nuclear weapons, Israel can no longer assume that it can win any war. Still, Israel must continue to survive.  If history has taught us anything, it is that Jews are very good at surviving, even the worst of times.

In order to survive, Israel needs to take different approach. It can no longer rely on its military prowess.

A solution? 

Though I certainly am NOT wedded to it, the following is the best thought I have had so far on this subject.

1.  To begin with, Israel should accept that there will be a Palestinian State.  That new Palestinian State’s government  must be radically different from the present, corrupt  Palestinian Authority. The new state must be an honest, democratic state with a written constitution which includes provisions for an independent judiciary and a bill of rights. Periodic elections must be mandatory.
2. Adopt a modified version of the Arab League Peace Plan (sometimes called the Saudi Peace Plan).  This would include a border with Israel that conforms to the Green Line, including all of Jerusalem’s Old City. While the State of Palestine would be responsible for Al Aqsa, people of all faiths will be given access to it and be permitted to pray there. This  seems like heresy to an Israeli, but when I think about it, do I really care about whether where the Second Temple stood almost 2,000 years ago?  The answer to  that question is clearly “no”.  I care much more about making sure that the Jewish and democratic state in which I lives survives .
3.  The second deviation  is that I would have Gaza turned into the Riviera of the Middle East, as Donald Trump has called it. It would be made  a part of Egypt and subject to the provisions of the 1980 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.  Egypt would also control the underwater gas reserves which lie off the coast of Gaza. Moreover,  Egypt could build middle-class housing to provide homes for the many people on whom the rich depend, including people who work at the fancy condominiums, hotels, and restaurants which Trump plans to develop.  Saudi Arabia, which would participate in the redevelopment  of Gaza would also absorb some of the people who presently live ln in Egypt. Hamas would be gone.
4. This would be consistent with thousands of years of history. Long before King David invaded Jerusalem, Egypt controlled Gaza.  It used to send its armies north  through Gaza in order to do battle with the Assyrians, fighting over control of  the land which the Romans later called “Palestine”.  As late as 1967, Egypt had an army there. In the 1967 war, Israel drove that army out of Gaza and has been saddled with Gaza ever since.That is my proposal.  Until somebody comes up with a better idea, I will stick with it.